


The Blind Date

by lesbolust



Series: The Blind Date [1]
Category: Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:39:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6672973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbolust/pseuds/lesbolust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carmilla Karnstein does not date. But when her brother Will has an unexpected reaction to seeing the woman he sets her up with on a blind date one night, curiosity gets the better of her. But is she going to like what she sees?</p><p>Laura Hollis has always put her career before her love life, and she thinks maybe it's time to stop. But where is she supposed to start? When she turns to her friends for help, they manage to help. Or do they?</p><p>or</p><p>The one where Carmilla and Laura have hated each other since high school, but their friends accidentally set them up on a blind date without realizing it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Carmilla Karnstein was not the kind of girl who cared about what other people thought of her. She was not the kind of woman who spent 3 hours before a date trying to pick out the perfect outfit, or even went on dates for that matter, at least not anymore. She was the kind of girl that rolled out of bed and grabbed clothes off of the floor, and went wherever she needed to go. She was the kind of girl that went to a party or a bar or anywhere really, and managed to magnetically attract girls without having to put in much of an effort. But here she was, standing in front of the mirror that ran the length of her room smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles in her shirt for the fourth time in the last half hour. This was the second time Carmilla had tried on the same plain black v-neck, but she had switched out her ripped black jeans and heels for her favorite pair of leather pants and combat boots. She took in a deep breath, slowly releasing it as she turned to the side, looking at her self from every angle. She looked over at her bed that was now piled with almost everything from her closet, and shrugged. She grabbed her leather jacket off of the back of her door, closing it behind her as she left.

She started walking down the hallway, peering her head into the other bedroom as she past. The door was open, but the room was empty. She could hear that the TV was on in the living room, so she continued down the hallway. Carmilla could just make out a tuft of black hair peaking up from over the back of the couch watching some show about cars. As she walked into the room, the black haired man shut off the TV, instead focusing his attention to her. He looked her up and down, a smug expression on his face.

“You look radiant, Kitty.” She rolled her eyes at her brother’s blatant sarcasm as she slipped her arms into her jacket, shrugging it over her shoulders and pulling out her dark curls. She started to walk toward the apartment door; Will stood up from the couch and followed her.

“So what can you tell me about this girl that you’re insisting I need to go out with?” She looked up at him, eyebrow cocked up, waiting for his reply.

He just shrugged. “Honestly, not a lot.”

“What does that mean, William?” Carmilla hadn’t been on an actual date since she was in High School. Since college, she had been living a much more frivolous lifestyle. Relationships were a thing of the past, and Carmilla preferred to live in the now. Will, however, had recently decided that Carmilla’s expressed lack of want to settle down was some type of cry for help. For about the last 3 months he had been trying to set her up with different woman. She had turned down every one of his offers, but she finally gave in, hoping that the inevitable horrendous ending would get him off of her back.

“Do you remember my Zeta brother, Kirsch?” Will asked her. Carmilla nodded.

“I don’t think anyone could forget such a large puppy.” Will ignored her comment, continuing what he was saying.

“Well, she’s a really good friend of his.” Will looked down at her, holding up his hands in defense as she shot him a piercing look. “All I know is that she’s a journalist and that he met her because she dated Danny when they were in college.”

“Great, you’re setting me up with someone that had a thing for Xena,” Carmilla scoffed. Will laughed, knowing how Carmilla actually felt about Kirsch’s red headed Amazonian girlfriend. “Do you even know her name?”

Will shook his head. “Kirsch always calls her ‘Little Nerd Hottie.’” He turned to her, “I figured with a name like that, I didn’t really think it mattered.”

Carmilla rolled her eyes. “With taste like his, I wouldn’t trust the nickname.”

Will laughed as he held the door to the apartment building open for his sister. The two of them walked in comfortable silence toward the coffee shop that was down the block from Carmilla’s apartment where she was supposed to be meeting this illusive girl. Will had decided earlier that day that he was going to accompany Carmilla so he could find out what the girl looked like, at least. Carmilla hadn’t objected. Maybe if Will didn’t think she was pretty enough, he wouldn’t make her go through with the date.

Carmilla knew absolutely nothing about this woman. Will had set up everything about the date. From where and when they were meeting to how they would know whom each other was. Will went for the romantic cliché of a rose in a book, but what book she wasn’t quite sure. When they arrived at the shop, she sauntered over to the bench as Will ascended the stairs to peer through the large windows for the girl. Carmilla looked down at her watch and frowned. They were almost an hour early.

“Will she probably isn’t here yet, we should just go back to my apartment and wait.” Will held up his finger at her, signaling her to wait a moment. Carmilla just sighed. When Will turned back around her had a huge grin on his face.

“She’s here.” Carmilla looked back at him, eyebrow raised. “But, there’s someone standing in the way so I haven’t actually seen her face yet.” Carmilla rolled her eyes, and Will turned back to the window. “Oh, they’re moving!” 

For some reason Carmilla felt a feeling of anticipation building inside of her. She wasn’t nervous. No, Carmilla Karnstein does not get nervous. Though she wouldn’t admit it to Will, the idea of this mystery girl sort of intrigued her. It’s not like they lived in a big town or anything. She knew almost all of the girls here. So to find one she didn’t was new to her. She was sitting on the edge of the bench, waiting for Will to tell her what this woman looked like.

When Will turned around, his mouth was turned down into a frown and his brow was furrowed in concentration. He walked down the steps of the coffee shop, not meeting Carmilla’s eyes. “Maybe this was a bad idea,” he mumbled as he started to walk back down the street toward Carmilla’s apartment. She jumped off of the bench, grabbing his arm and making him stop.

“That bad, huh?” Will let out a small huff, before turning to face Carmilla. He was biting his lip and looked like he wasn’t sure what to say.

“No, it’s not that.” Carmilla looked up at him, puzzled.

“Care to elaborate big brother?” Will’s face softened at her words, but his eyes were still full of concern.

“She’s pretty,” Will started, hesitantly. Carmilla looked at him skeptically. “She is. She just wouldn’t be good for you, Kitty. That’s all.” Will lifted his hand up, brushing Carmilla’s bangs out of her eyes as he spoke.

“How could you possibly know that, William?” Will opened his mouth, about to speak, and then as if he thought better about what he wanted to say closed it.

“Just trust me,” was all he said before turning and starting to walk away again. Carmilla stood there a moment, watching Will walk away. The curiosity she had about this woman had only increased with Will’s unexpected reaction. It really didn’t matter what he said, she needed to know who this woman was. She turned on her heels, and started walking back toward the coffee shop. She heard Will call her name as she walked up the steps to the door. 

She could see a book with a small white rose held between the pages lying on the corner of a small table in the back of the shop. There was a laptop sitting on the table, and she could just make out the honey brown hair that was visible above the screen. The girl was slumped forward, though, and Carmilla couldn’t quite see her face. She opened the door, walking into the shop. The older woman behind the counter greeted her with a smile. Carmilla placed her order, waiting for the girl to lift her head. She nearly dropped the cup of coffee that had just been handed to her when she finally saw the girl’s face. 

She felt her breath catch in her chest, and had to lean her hip against the counter for a second to steady herself. Carmilla Karnstein had been able to handle anything the world had ever thrown at her. Well almost anything. There was one thing, or person rather, that she had never been able to handle. There was one girl who had managed to drive her crazy, in more ways than one, for the last 12 years of her life, and it was her. 

Carmilla pushed herself off of the counter, and turned toward the door. She was certain that the other woman hadn’t noticed her yet, not that it would matter if she had. Carmilla doubted that the woman sitting at the table had any idea that she was the one she was waiting for. No, she was certain she didn’t, otherwise she wouldn’t have shown up. Carmilla opened the door and walked out into the cool October air.


	2. Chapter 2

The dating world had not been a friend to Laura Hollis as of late. Well, never really, but she was trying to not get too hung up on that. She had always sort of blamed herself. She was too driven to date. Her career needed to come first. Those were the lies she told her friends when they would ask, anyway. Thankfully, though, they had stopped. Really, she just didn’t want to deal with getting hurt, and you can’t get hurt if you don’t put yourself out there, right? 

It’s not like she had never had relationships, because she had. They were just never anything serious, and didn’t tend to last more than a night or long weekend. Well, except for Danny, but even that was barely a relationship. Three pie dates and one kiss did not constitute a relationship. Flirtationship is a much more accurate description of what they had. It wasn’t like Laura didn’t like Danny, it was just that Danny reminded Laura too much of her over protective father. Laura loved her dad, but the last thing she wanted was to date him. So, they decided it was best to just stay friends.

That had all been their freshman year of college, though. 8 years. It had been 8 years since Laura had been on an actual date. She had been out to lunch with Kirsch when she had realized it a couple of weeks ago. All of her friends were paired up. LaFontaine and Perry had been together for over 6 years now, and Danny had finally given into Kirsch’s relentless advances almost a year ago. Laura was all by herself, and she had to admit it was kind of lonely. She hadn’t meant to, but when Kirsch asked her what was wrong, she told him. She was a little skeptic when he suggested setting her up on a blind date, saying that he knew the perfect girl for her. Some how Laura doubted that this woman was perfect, but Kirsch promised that they would hit it off, so she relented.

Now here she was, sitting in some small coffee shop two blocks from her apartment, waiting for some girl she knew basically nothing about. All she knew was that she was the younger sister of one of Kirsch’s Zeta brothers, and that she was apparently extremely attractive. According to Kirsch she was in the Carm Sexy category on the Hottie Scale, not that Laura had any idea what that meant. Laura had had no interaction with the girl. Kirsch told her where to meet this woman, and that she should have a book with a rose sticking out of it.

Laura had been sitting in the coffee shop for an hour already. Investigative journalism didn’t really take a break, even for a date. She had come early to finish a piece she was working on about the local water treatment plant, and had absentmindedly left the book on the corner of the table while she worked. She was so engrossed in her work; she didn’t even notice the looming presence across from her, until she heard an all too familiar voice.

“The Myth of Sisyphus?” Laura looked up, the dark haired woman looked back at her with a smug grin. “I never pegged you for the philosophy type.” She raised an eyebrow at Laura, “Especially not something so rebellious.” 

“Give that back, please.” Laura all but lunged across the table, nearly knocking over the mug of hot chocolate that was perched precariously on top of the stack of papers next to her laptop. The woman was holding the book just out of her reach.

“No,” she said, simply. She took out the long stemmed white rose, lifting it to her nose and inhaling. “You know,” she started, as she twirled the stem in her fingers. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that you’re waiting for a date, Cupcake.”

Laura scowled at the nickname. “You don’t know me,” she stated. The woman smiled, as if what Laura had said was some kind of challenge. 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, cutie,” she said as she winked. Laura’s mouth fell open. She wanted to say something to wipe that smirk off of the brunette’s face, but she was speechless. She closed her mouth, and sat back in her seat.

“What do you want, Carmilla?” She sighed out exasperatedly, closing her laptop, and staring at the woman sitting across from her. 

Carmilla brought her eyes up to meet Laura’s. It had been so long since Laura had felt herself under that dark, piercing gaze. “What makes you think I want something?” She asked, cocking up a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her.

“Well I know you didn’t come over here to engage in a pleasant conversation with me.” Her words came out a little bit harsher than was probably necessary, but given their history she felt it was acceptable.

“Do you really think it so outrageous for me to do so?” Carmilla asked her, incredulously.

“Considering that you have spent the last 12 years avoiding any type of interaction with me, yes.” Laura watched as something flashed across Carmilla’s eyes. If she didn’t know her any better she would think she had hurt her, but Carmilla Karnstein did not feel pain. That much Laura knew. 

Carmilla’s expression steeled as she placed the rose back into the center of the book, sliding it back onto the corner of the table. She stood, kicking out the chair behind her and picking up her paper coffee cup. As she pushed the chair back into the table she looked back at Laura. “Have fun on your date, Cupcake. Hopefully she’s less boring than this was.” She held out her hand, gesturing between the two of them.

“I’m sure anyone would be more exciting than you,” Laura shot back. She watched as the same look quickly shot across Carmilla’s face. Just as Laura started to feel guilty for her harsh words, the corner of Carmilla’s mouth curved up into an almost mischievous smile and she was walking out of the coffee shop. 

Before Laura was even able to take a breath and compose herself, her cell phone started to ring. Laura looked down at the screen and Kirsch was staring back at her.

“Hey Kirsch,” Laura answered.

“Hey Little Hottie. How was your date?” he asked, sounding very excited.

“I don’t know yet, Kirsch. She won’t be here for,” Laura pulled her phone away from her ear, looking down at the screen, “another 12 minutes.” 

“Huh,” Kirsch started. “I was just driving by and I could have sworn I saw Carm Sexy walking out of the coffee shop.”

Laura was staring out the window of the coffee shop, now. Her brow was furrowed in contemplation. “Kirsch,” she began, drawing out his name. “When you call this girl Carm Sexy you’re not referring to her level of hotness, are you?” She was pinching the bridge of her nose, hoping that his answer wasn’t what she thought it was, and kicking herself for not seeing it before.

“Well, she definitely is her own level of hottie-“ Before he could finish, Laura was groaning into the phone.

“Kirsch, did you really try and set me up on a date with Carmilla Karnstein?” Laura all but yelled at him. For a moment there was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. Laura started to pack up her things once she realized there was no reason for her to stay at the coffee shop. She was walking out of the door before she heard a response, but it wasn’t from Kirsch.

“Hey Laura, Kirsch told me what happened. Are you okay?” Laura knew Danny was just trying to be a good friend, but the implication that she couldn’t handle herself against Carmilla sent a spark through her. She clenched her fist and took a deep breath before responding.

“Yeah, Danny. Everything is fine.” Laura tried to sound as calm and reassuring as possible, but she could hear the fakeness in her voice.

“Laura, I can come over and-“

“Danny,” Laura cut her off. “I’m really not in the mood to talk about it, okay?”

“Are you sure, because-“ Danny started again.

“Danny, please stop.” There was silence for another minute, before Laura spoke again. “Look, why don’t we all get dinner tomorrow?”

“Alright,” Danny agreed. “Should I invite Perry and LaFontaine?”

“Of course! The more the merrier!” She genuinely meant it, but Laura knew Danny was going to call LaF as soon as they hung up, and figured it would be best to just have this conversation once with all of them.

“Alright, I’ll set it up, I guess.” There was another silence before Danny mumbled a rushed goodbye. Laura was hanging up her phone and putting it in her pocket as she walked up to her apartment building. 

She walked up the stairs to the third floor, slowly making her way to the end of the hallway. She fumbled with her keys for a moment, before finally unlocking the door. She set her bag on the kitchen counter before making her way to the bedroom. She took a pair of pajamas out of her dresser, changed, and crawled into bed. As she reached over to turn out her bedroom light, her phone lit up. It was a text message from Danny with all the details about dinner the following night. Laura set her alarm, turned out her light, and did everything she possibly could to not think about Carmilla Karnstein as she tried to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the kudos! Hope you liked the second chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Carmilla woke up just before 10 a.m. the following day to the smell of coffee and bacon. She rolled out of bed, throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top before making her way into the kitchen. Will was standing at the stove, spatula in hand, humming. Carmilla collapsed onto one of the breakfast bar stools, leaning her head against her arms. She hadn’t slept much the night before. Laura Hollis had plagued her dreams, and they weren’t keeping her up for the right kind of reasons.

As Will was pushing a cup of coffee in front of her, there was a knock on the apartment door. Carmilla moved to stand up, but Will motioned for her to sit back down. She watched him disappear into the hallway, and heard the front door open. She could hear the muffled voices, but could not tell with whom Will was speaking. A couple minutes later, Will walked back into the kitchen, followed by Wilson Kirsch. His eyes were wide as he looked at Carmilla, but his demeanor was laced with nervousness.

“What are you doing here, Puppy?” Her voice was still rough with sleep, making the words sound all that much harsher.

“I came to apologize,” he said, looking at her in almost terror. “I didn’t know that you and Laura had some type of history.” Carmilla scoffed at the implication, only adding to Kirsch’s confusion.

“It’s fine, Kirsch,” Will said, as Carmilla took a long sip of coffee. “You didn’t know.”

“I still don’t,” Kirsch added as he looked between the two siblings completely confused.

Will looked over at Carmilla. Her eyes met his over the rim of her coffee mug. She lifted up a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him, waiting for him to make some type of move. He turned back to Kirsch, opening his mouth, then closing it again. Carmilla could see the muscles in his jaw tighten as his brow furrowed. She put her coffee mug down on the counter, and slowly turned toward Kirsch.

“Puppy,” his head snapped toward her. Her tone was firm as she continued. “I am only going to tell you this once, so listen closely.” Kirsch nodded, then slid onto the stool next to Carmilla. “I have known Laura Hollis for nearly 12 years of my life, and she has always been and always will be a meddlesome woman who cares far more about herself than the people around her. She’ll use someone and has no regard for how it affects them, or anyone else for that matter. All she will ever care about is her career.” She watched Kirsch shaking his head in disbelief.

“I don’t know Carm-Sexy,” Carmilla rolled her eyes at the nickname. “That doesn’t sound like her at all.”

“Kirsch,” Will started. “Trust me, she’s no saint.” 

“Bro, I’ve known Laura for awhile now, and she has never been anything but nice. I mean, sure she’s really career oriented, but she worked really hard to get where she is at the paper.”

“Oh, I’m sure she did,” Carmilla sneered. “And how many people did she ruin on her way there?”

Kirsch’s brow furrowed and his mouth turned into a little bit of a frown. “Investigative journalism isn’t really the type of field where you make friends, I guess.” Carmilla almost choked on her coffee as she began laughing.

“Yeah, I suppose it is hard to get to know someone when you’re busy trying to destroy their career.” Carmilla’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

“I don’t know guys,” Kirsch said as he looked back and forth between Carmilla and Will. “I feel like we know two completely different people.”

“Kirsch, do you remember a couple of years ago when Morgan Industries was under investigation for fraud?” Carmilla and Kirsch both turned their attention to Will, waiting for him to continue after Kirsch acknowledge his question. “Well, your little friend was the journalist that had been snooping around our mother’s company prior to the investigation.” 

“But that doesn’t even make sense,” Kirsch started to argue. “Why would Laura want to bring down your mom’s company?”

“That’s the question, Pup.” Carmilla mumbled around her coffee cup.

“Maybe if you just talked to her, you’ll see-“ Kirsch pleaded, before Carmilla cut him off.

“I have absolutely no interest in hearing anything she has to say to me,” Carmilla stated. She pushed herself up off of the stool, “It would just be a waste of my time.” She walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway, starting toward her bedroom. She could just make out Will’s voice, though it was very soft.

“Don’t take it too hard, Kirsch. Carmilla and Laura have hated each other since High School. Nothing is going to change that.” 

Carmilla turned the doorknob to her bedroom, not bothering to listen to Kirsch and Will continue their conversation. She threw herself down onto her bed, burying her face into her pillow. It wasn’t true, and Will knew it. They didn’t always hate each other, but Carmilla would never admit how she really felt about Laura Hollis to anyone, ever. 

_She was walking down the hallway, meandering around as usual during her free period. As she walked around the corner, she looked out the window at the small girl sitting alone in the courtyard. Her head was buried in her hands, but Carmilla would know that honey brown hair anywhere. She could feel the corner of her lips tug up into a smirk. She pushed open the door and felt the warm spring sun kiss her skin. She reveled in the feeling momentarily before walking over to the bench._

_“Skipping class, Cupcake? I guess I really have seen it all,” Carmilla sneered. The girl wiped her hands over her face, before looking up at Carmilla with puffy red eyes._

_“Do you always have to be so sarcastic and rude?” Laura spat back at her. “Do you think that maybe for once in your life you could try not being a jerk?” Carmilla was taken slightly aback by the girl’s reaction. She never particularly enjoyed Carmilla’s teasing, but she normally just blushed and walked away. In the last 3 years, Laura had never actually voiced any type of contempt for it._

_Carmilla narrowed her eyes at the other girl, taking in her appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot, and Carmilla could see the tearstains that ran down her cheeks. She moved to sit down next to Laura on the bench, pulling the smaller girl into her embrace. She stiffened at first, but slowly relaxed into her arms. Laura buried her head into Carmilla shoulder and began to sob. They sat there for a while, Carmilla rubbing Laura’s back or running her fingers through that long honey brown hair while Laura cried until her eyes had no more tears left. Carmilla continued rocking them back and forth even after she had stopped crying._

_Laura mumbled something into Carmilla’s shoulder, so she pulled away so that she can hear her better. “What was that, Cupcake?” She asks, softly._

_“I’m sorry I got your shirt all wet,” Laura says once more, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. Carmilla just shrugs, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips._

_“Carm?” Laura says quietly, looking up at her. Carmilla’s heart begins to race at the nickname that only seems to sound right coming from Laura’s lips._

_“Yeah, cutie?” Carmilla replies almost just as softly._

_Laura leans up, putting her lips right next to Carmilla’s ear. “Can we get out of here, please?” Carmilla doesn’t say anything; she is too much in shock to speak. She just nods her head, and tries to steel her expression before Laura pulls away to look in her eyes. They stand slowly, and walk out the back door of the school together. They had both already missed two classes, so there wasn’t really much reason to stay anyways, but taking Laura home with her was not what she was expecting._

_It only takes them about 10 minutes to walk to Carmilla’s house, but somewhere along the way Laura’s fingers become laced in hers. When they get up to her room, Carmilla is thrown against the closed door, and Laura’s lips are pressed against hers. She can feel her palms get sweaty, and despite the warm feeling spreading threw her body, she has never been this nervous in her life. She had never done this before, though she doubted Laura knew that. She could feel a moan building in her chest as Laura ran her tongue along her bottom lip, causing her to open her mouth and slide her own tongue against Laura’s._

_Carmilla’s hands were tangled into Laura’s hair, and Laura’s were gripping Carmilla’s hips. They were pulling each other closer, getting lost in their touches. Laura pulled away, leaning her foreheads against Carmilla’s. They were both breathing heavy, heartbeats racing. “Is it true?” Laura asked. “What everyone says about you?”_

 _Carmilla was well aware what everyone said about her. That she was a lady-killer of sorts. And maybe she was, but not in the way they all thought. She bit her lip, looking up into Laura’s eyes. They were completely black, and full of lust. She leaned forward, “No,” she breathed out against Laura’s lips. They came crashing together, and Laura was pulling her off of the door._

_Carmilla’s hands came up, pulling at the hem of Laura’s shirt. They broke apart as she pulled it over her head, throwing it on the floor, then followed it with her own. Laura’s fingers were undoing the button of her jeans, pulling them down as she kissed down her stomach. Carmilla’s knees hit the back of the bed and she sat down, running her hands down Laura’s ribs and then her curves. Laura’s hands weaved into her dark curls and a soft moan escaped her lips as Carmilla dug her teeth into her hipbone before pulling off her pants._

_When Carmilla looked back up, her eyes met Laura’s. She stared into them as Laura slowly unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the ground beside her. She moved to straddle Carmilla, letting her mouth capture hers once more. Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura’s waist, then spun her around so she was now laying on her back; head resting on Carmilla’s pillow. She crawled on top of her, trailing soft kisses up her body as she went. She held herself inches away from Laura, looking into her eyes as she spoke. “Are you sure?” Laura’s hands tangled into her hair, pulling her down and capturing her lips in a soft kiss._

_She pulled away so they’re lips were once again just barely touching. “Yes,” she whispered against them._

The memory played over in her head like it had happened only 8 hours ago, not 8 years. She could feel Laura’s warm skin under her fingertips, and the way her soft lips felt against hers. Carmilla buried her head deeper into her pillow as she tried to stifle a groan remembering the feeling of Laura’s tongue tracing patterns all over her body. Carmilla had always been told that her first time was something she would never forget, but there wasn’t a single memory she wished she could forget more than that one.

If she were being completely honest with herself, it wasn’t the memory of them having sex that Carmilla really wished she could forget. It was the heartbreak she felt afterward. She had never been happier in her life than that day with Laura, but when she saw her the next day everything was different. For whatever reason, Laura Hollis now hated her, and it broke Carmilla in two. Will had been the only person she confided anything to. Eventually, Carmilla got over her heartbreak by turning into a much more distant version of her snarky self, and they truly became what everyone had assumed they were from the day they met, enemies.


	4. Chapter 4

Laura pulled out her phone, checking the time as she walked up to the restaurant. She was late. She hated being late. The worst part was that she couldn’t even figure out how she had managed to let herself get so behind that she was showing up last to a dinner at a restaurant that was literally right across the street from her apartment building. She had been dressed and ready for over an hour, but was walking through the door nearly 15 minutes after the agreed upon meeting time. 

Of course, in hindsight, it probably hadn’t been the best idea for her to leave the coffee shop the night before when she did. Instead of going home and finishing her article that needed to be submitted before she left for dinner, she sat around imagining every possible scenario of how tonight was going to go. Some how, every single one ended poorly. So instead of actually being ready to leave for dinner on time, she was trying to finish and submit her article. It wasn’t until she got a call from Perry asking her if she was at the restaurant yet, that she realized what time it actually was. And now here she was, practically running up to a table that all of her friends were comfortably seated at, staring at their menus and waiting for her. She shrugged out of her coat, throwing it on the back of the empty chair before sitting down. 

“Hey L,” LaFontaine greeted her as she picked up her menu. She smiled back at them and Perry, who was beaming at her from across the table. She looked over at Kirsch who appeared to be cowering behind his menu next to her. Danny was looking at her with a very stern look on her face. She opened her mouth, about to say something until Laura cut her off.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone.” She looked around at all of them, smiling sheepishly. “I got a little caught up with work stuff.”

“Oh, it’s okay sweetie,” Perry responded to her, still smiling brightly. “Work should always come first!”

The waiter came over shortly after with a glass of water for Laura. She could feel Danny’s eyes on her the entire time they were all ordering. As soon as he walked away, she turned to start talking to LaFontaine, but was immediately cut off.

“So what happened last night, Laura?” Danny was leaning forward, eyes focused, waiting for Laura to respond. She took a long sip from her water, shakily setting it back onto the table. Danny had this terrible habit of making her feel like she was being questioned for some type of crime she didn’t know she had committed.

“Nothing,” Laura replied. 

“What do you mean, ‘nothing’? You called Kirsch screaming about your date.” Laura took in a deep breath.

“First of all,” she started, trying to keep her voice steady. “Kirsch was the one that called me.” Kirsch gave her a sheepish smile that she reciprocated. “And I did not yell at him.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Secondly, nothing happened. She sat down, we talked briefly, and she left. Then when Kirsch called, I realized that when he had been calling her ‘Carm Sexy’ it was actual a nickname and not her level of hotness, so I got a little flustered.”

“I’m so sorry Laura,” Kirsch started. “I had no idea that you and Carm Sexy even knew each other, let alone had such a bad history.” His eyes were pleading for her forgiveness, and Laura couldn’t help but feel guilty for being upset with him the night before.

“Wilson, I’m sure that Laura isn’t mad at you.” Perry was looking at Laura, waiting for her to agree. “Right Laura?”

“Of course I’m not mad at you, Kirsch.” He smiled at her, nervously. She sighed, “I was just frustrated with her. _She’s_ frustrating,” Laura huffed. 

“I completely agree,” Danny said smugly. 

“L, I know Carmilla is super sarcastic and what not,” Laura looked over at LaFontaine, ignoring Danny’s comment entirely. “But I’ve known her for a while now, and she’s not a bad person.”

“Will told me that you guys haven’t gotten along since High School,” Kirsch interjected quietly.

“Kirsch, if you know that they hated each other, than why would you think it was a good idea to set them up on a date?” LaFontaine was looking at him with genuine curiosity as his cheeks flushed.

“Well, I didn’t know until this morning when I talked to him,” he said as he hung his head. Laura patted his knee reassuringly and smiled at him.

“Carmilla and I have known each other for a very long time,” Laura started. They all turned to her, waiting for her to continue the story of her and Carmilla’s hatred. “We met in High School. She was kind of a bully. She made it her mission to pick on me, and normally I was able to ignore it, but then one day in our senior year it got worse. I almost transferred from Silas when I found out she was going there too, but I figured the campus was big enough I would never see her and for the most part I didn’t. Since then, the world just seems intent on throwing us together in terrible situations.” 

Laura stopped as the food was brought out, hoping that her explanation of their history was enough to make her friends leave the subject alone. For a while they did, but nearly half way through their meal, Kirsch spoke again.

“You know, when I asked Carm Sexy about why you two didn’t get along this morning, she basically told me that it was all _your_ fault.” Laura nearly choked on the food she had been chewing.

“What?” She shrieked, after she had swallowed. Her friends had all stopped to look at her. She took a deep breath, to try and calm herself down. “I’m sorry,” she began, trying to keep her voice steady. “She said what?”

Kirsch looked at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open. He closed it, furrowing his brow in concentration before speaking. “Well, she and Will may have brought up your involvement with the investigation into Morgan Industries a couple years ago.”

“My involve- I wasn’t,” Laura stammered. She took a breath, pinching the bridge of her nose as she let it out. 

“I told her that I didn’t believe you would do something like that,” Kirsch looked over at her, smiling hesitantly.

“Whatever. She can think whatever she wants. It doesn’t matter.” Laura put her fork down, pushing her plate back. 

Thankfully the conversation shifted away from Laura as LaFontaine began talking about their latest bit of research. Biology had never been Laura’s strong suite, and she quickly found herself being distracted by other thoughts. Carmilla thoughts. When she looked back up, Danny was still staring at her. Laura had the distinct feeling that even though the conversation had steered away from her, Danny was no where near finished with the subject of her and Carmilla.

When they left the restaurant, they all exchanged their goodbyes. Kirsch and Danny departed first. Perry insisted on walking Laura back to her apartment building, to make sure she got home safe before her and LaFontaine left as well. She waved to them from the front steps as they drove away, smiling. It was just after 9 p.m., but Laura was absolutely exhausted. So much so, she even opted for taking the elevator up to her apartment rather than the stairs. 

She immediately flopped down on the couch when she walked in, pressing her face into the small pillow at the end. She felt around the coffee table for the remote to the TV. She rolled over, as she flipped through the channels until she found BBC. Her eyelids were heavy, and she found herself fighting to keep them open. 

_She rubbed her eyes trying to keep herself awake, but she was far too comfortable. Her head was resting on Carmilla’s chest, and she could feel the shallow rise and fall of her breathing. She could hear her heartbeat, soft and steady. Her lips curved into a smile as she traced her fingers along the pale skin underneath her. She didn’t understand how this could feel so right._

_“Laura?” She was broken out of her daze by the sound of Carmilla’s still raspy voice saying her name. It felt so foreign and familiar rolling off of her tongue, but it was something she could get used to. Laura looked up into her dark brown eyes, and hummed her acknowledgement. “I’m not complaining or anything, but what just happened?”_

_Laura bit her lip, trying to decide if she should tell Carmilla the truth of why what happened just happened, but she wasn’t sure she’s ready for that yet. “Well,” she started, as her cheeks turn pink. “I think we just had sex.” Carmilla rolled her eyes, but her lips quirked up into a smile. She leaned forward, reaching down and pulling Laura into a slow kiss._

_She pulled away, resting her forehead against Laura’s. “I think I figured that part out, cutie.” Laura would never admit it, but she started to kind of like Carmilla’s ridiculous nicknames a while ago. “I’m more curious as to why.” Carmilla leaned back against the bed, pulling Laura with her. Laura rested her head back down on Carmilla’s chest, and slowly started to relax at the feel of Carmilla’s fingers running threw her hair._

_“My mom is sick.” The words almost got caught in her throat. She clenched her jaw to fight back the tears that were threatening to start spilling again. It was the first time she had said those words aloud, and it made them sound that much worse. She felt a warm hand against her cheek, tilting her head up. Carmilla’s dark eyes were so soft and warm._

_“Everything will be okay,” she said, leaning down to place a kiss on Laura’s forehead. “I promise.” Laura leaned up, capturing Carmilla’s lips with hers. She couldn’t explain why, but she believed her._

Laura woke to the sound of a knock on her door. She was lying on the couch, with the television still on. She wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but she had watched all the episodes of Dr. Who enough to know that it was not the same episode she had started watching before. She got up from the couch, shutting off the TV, and walked over to the front door. 

“LaF?” She asked, when she opened the door to find the red head there.

“Hey, L.” They smiled at her, but it was filled with more concern than she was used to. “You didn’t respond to Perry’s text message, and she got a little nervous, so I told her I would come back and check on you.” Laura stepped back, allowing room for LaFontaine to come in. She closed the door behind them and made her way back over to the couch, sitting on the far side. LaFontaine walked over, perching themselves on the opposite arm. “Are you okay?”

Their voice was calm but Laura could see the slight worry in their eyes. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She knew LaFontaine wasn’t Danny, and wouldn’t judge her or get over protective and upset, but Carmilla wasn’t someone she talked about, ever. Instead she just shook her head at them. They smiled faintly, as they moved to sit next to her. “I could kind of tell in the restaurant that there was something more to your story, but I figured you would share it if you wanted to.” They were right. “I’m not saying that you have to. I just want you to know that I’m here for you, if you decide to.” 

“I know,” Laura started. Her voice was still raspy from sleep, so she cleared her throat before continuing. “Carmilla and I are kind of a sensitive subject.” Laura took in a deep breath, trying to decide how to explain herself. “When I found out my mom was sick, I didn’t know how to handle everything. It was really bad one day, and I needed time to be alone. Carmilla found me crying at school, and even though she had always been a sarcastic, condescending jerk, she was the first person who ever just let me cry. She just held me in the courtyard for hours.” She stopped, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth as she remembered that warm spring day. “We ended up going back to her house and we, sort of, slept together. She had this reputation of sleeping with every girl she met, basically, but she made me feel special and safe.” Laura looked up at LaFontaine, they were staring back at her, listening intently. She drew in a deep breath, “Then I realized that I wasn’t anything special, and I was just another notch in her bed post, so to speak. That’s when things got bad, and I’ve tried to stay away from her since.” 

LaFontaine’s brow furrowed, “L, how do you know that that’s how she felt?” Laura sighed, thinking about it.

“I just do. It was naïve of me to think that a girl like her would change for someone like me.” Laura leans back against the couch, wrapping her arms around the small pillow she had been sleeping on before. 

“I’m not saying that you don’t have a right to hate her, if that is the case,” LaFontaine started. “But maybe you should talk to her, L. I mean it’s been like 8 years.” Laura bit her lip to hold back a derisive snort. She knows LaFontaine just wants to help, and doesn’t deserve her cynicism. 

“Thank you for coming over, LaF.” Laura says as she wrapped her arms around them. “I appreciate you listening.” 

LaFontaine squeezed back. “Anytime, L,” is all they say.

Once LaFontaine leaves, Laura finds herself crawling into bed. She rolls onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. If there was one thing Laura Hollis had been sure about, it was that she knew Carmilla Karnstein better than her friends did. But something LaFontaine had said made her rethink herself. What if the reason she had hated Carmilla for the last 8 years hadn’t been the right reason?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, chapters 3 and 4 sort of go together, so I felt like I should post them together. Hope you all like them!


	5. Chapter 5

It had been like this for the last 8 years. Carmilla and Laura would run into each other. They would exchange some not so pleasant words, then go their separate ways. Carmilla would brood for a bit, remembering the one day they were completely happy with one another, then she would find someone else to spend a night with, and move on. Something about this time was different. It wasn’t that she couldn’t find anyone to help her forget, she just couldn’t seem to get the images of Laura to go away. No matter how many times she tried, that memory played in a constant loop in her mind. It was driving her insane.

It had been over a month since the night at the coffee shop. Carmilla had barely slept in the last 5 weeks. Her lack of focus was starting to affect her work, and people were taking notice. Primarily Will, but her mother had made a couple of off hand comments that she had chosen to ignore, as well.

A part of her really hoped that this whole interaction was affecting Laura just as negatively as it was affecting her, though she doubted it. Laura had this hold over her. It had started the day she had met the over animated girl with the honey brown hair, and it felt like nothing was ever going to break it. She had tried time, sex, alcohol, nothing worked. When she had decided to go back into the coffee shop that night, she had even planned on trying something new, being nice. Even that didn’t work.

This morning had been particularly rough for Carmilla. She had had an early meeting with the board of Morgan Industries, which meant she had to see her mother first thing in the morning. She couldn’t have slept more than 2 hours the night before, and had started to doze during an incredibly dull presentation on the quarterly earnings. Suffice it to say this did not impress Lilita Morgan, at all.

Carmilla stormed into her office, slamming the door once it was over. She threw herself into her over sized desk chair, burying her face in her arms before letting out a load groan.

“Rough morning?” Carmilla didn’t even lift her head to respond.

“More like rough month,” she mumbled into her arms. She lifted up her head, frowning at the beaming red head sitting in front of her. “Please don’t smile at me with such force this early in the day.” The only response Carmilla received was a laugh. 

“You know it’s almost 1 in the afternoon, right?” Carmilla just groaned, covering her face with her hands.

“I’m well aware,” she started. “Though I’m surprised mother only spent a hour and a half yelling at me, this time.”

“Yeah, that’s why I came up. I could sense her anger from my lab.” The person sitting across from her perfectly matched the smirk on Carmilla’s face. “Lunch?” They asked, holding up a bag full of Chinese food.

“God, yes,” Carmilla answered, reaching across her desk for the food.

“LaFontaine is fine,” they respond a little cheekily. 

Carmilla’s friendship with LaFontaine was something that started back in college. They had been lab partners their first semester at Silas, and had been through a lot together. Primarily the destruction of Science Lab B. Which to this day only the two of them know exactly what happened in that lab. Though their friendship mostly just consisted of sarcastic comments and food, Carmilla was certain that LaFontaine was the best friend she had ever had. She was even able to over look the fact that they were also friends with Laura, though the subject was rarely ever broached. Apparently, today was not one of those days.

“You should just talk to her,” they said, staring at Carmilla over the box of lo mein they were holding.

“She talked plenty for the both of us,” Carmilla started. “Trust me.”

“I’m not talking about your mother, Carmilla.” Carmilla frowned, looking up at LaFontaine. They had a stern look on their face that they only reserved for when they felt she was doing something stupid. “She told me about what happened between the two of you.”

Carmilla’s brow furrowed. “Really? And what exactly did she tell you, LaFontaine?” She raised an eyebrow at them, waiting for a response. Of course they were talking about Laura.

“She told me about when her mom was sick. She said you were the first person who just let her cry.” Carmilla scoffs.

“Did she tell you how she used me for her own comfort and then just went back to acting like I never existed, too?” The look on LaFontaine’s face was the only response she needed. “I had a feeling she conveniently left that part out.” Carmilla leaned back in her chair. 

Before LaFontaine was able to answer, there was a knock at Carmilla’s office door. LaFontaine looked at her quizzically, but Carmilla just shrugged. LaFontaine got up and walked over to the door, opening it after another soft knock. 

“Danny?” LaFontaine stepped back, and Carmilla could see the look of shock on their face. “What are you doing here?”

Danny walked into the office, taking LaFontaine’s step back as some kind of invitation. She looked around the office, her eyes momentarily landing on Carmilla causing a scowl to spread across her face. “I was looking for you,” she said as her eyes came back to meet LaFontaine’s. “I didn’t know you would be consorting with the enemy, though.” She was glaring at Carmilla from across the room. 

“Danny, Carmilla is not the enemy,” LaFontaine said exasperatedly, as they ran their hand through their hair.

“How can you take her side after everything Laura told us?” She had started to raise her voice, and she was moving her arms around a little wilder than usual.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m friends with both of them, and I’m supporting them both.” LaFontaine’s voice was steady, but firm. “Don’t try and act like you’re doing this for Laura, either. You have had this personal vendetta against Carmilla since college, and it needs to stop. You and Betty were broken up, and Carmilla didn’t even sleep with her!”

Danny’s mouth was hanging open in shock. She closed it with a huff, then turned and stormed out of the office. LaFontaine closed the door behind her, and went back to their seat across from Carmilla. She was just sitting there, picking through her food, but not really eating. LaFontaine could not remember a time when Carmilla and Danny were around each other and she hadn’t made some type of sarcastic comment about the red headed woman.

“Carmilla, I know you’re stubborn, but you are on a whole different level right now.” Carmilla just frowned. “I’m serious. Look at you! You look like you haven’t slept in weeks, and you’ve been broodier than usual.”

“I’m not broodier than usual,” Carmilla fires back, as she crosses her arms across her chest.

“Danny Lawrence was just standing in your office and you didn’t say a single word to her,” LaFontaine pointed out. 

“Honestly LaF, I’m just so tired right now.” Her face was in her hands, and she was rubbing her temples.

“And Laura’s the same way,” this peeked Carmilla’s interest. Her head shot up, and she leaned forward in her chair as LaFontaine continued. “Well not exactly the same, because well, she’s Laura. But I know it’s affecting her, too.” Carmilla slumps back into her chair again, trying to act as if she didn’t care.

“I was crazy about her, LaF.” Carmilla was looking out the window, watching the raindrops trickle down the glass. “She broke my heart.”

LaFontaine stood up, collecting all of the garbage around Carmilla’s desk, and began walking out. “I know you both got hurt, and I get that,” they started. “But I think you two are both missing something from this story, and there’s only one way you’re going to figure out what it is.”

Before Carmilla had time to say anything, the door was shutting behind LaFontaine. She leaned her head back against her chair, breathing out a long sigh. She looked down at her watch; it wasn’t even 2 p.m. yet. Carmilla quickly checked her schedule for the rest of the day and saw that it was clear. She packed up her things, and notified her secretary that she would be out of the office for the rest of the afternoon. She went home and fell asleep almost as soon as she collapsed onto her bed.

Carmilla woke a few hours later to her phone buzzing against her nightstand. The room was pitch black, as she rolled over, feeling around for the device that was no longer lit up. She grabbed it, unlocking it with her thumb, checking for what caused the disturbance. The little message icon in the bottom left had a small number one on top of it. She clicked on the icon and opened up the first message thread. It was with LaFontaine and the message was one word, “coffee.”

Carmilla rolled out of bed, turning the small lamp on before she got up to open the curtains. It was just after 7, and Carmilla could see some of the stars peeking out behind the dusky sky. She rubbed her eyes, responding to LaFontaine’s message before putting on clothes. She grabbed the book off of her nightstand and starting walking to the coffee shop down the block from her apartment. When she arrived, she went in and ordered. She took her coffee over to one of the couches that was in the back corner and began reading as she waited for LaFontaine to arrive.

She felt the couch sag, as someone else sat down next to her. She waited to finish her paragraph before slipping the small bookmark in between the pages. She closed the book, placing it down on the table next to her coffee. When she turned to the person next to her she was only slightly surprised to see that it was not in fact LaFontaine, but instead was Laura Hollis. Carmilla lifted an eyebrow at her, inviting some type of explanation.

“I’m supposed to be meeting someone, and this was the only seat not taken, “ she huffed in annoyance. Carmilla looked around the coffee shop, taking in the seemingly busy place. Laura was right; it was the only open seat.

“How convenient,” Carmilla drawled. Laura opened her mouth as if she were about to reply, but just shut it again. She looked down at her phone then let out a frustrating groan. Carmilla leaned down and picked her book back up off of the table. “If you’re going to stay, would you mind not making so much noise, Cupcake? I’m trying to read.” Carmilla opened her book and held it up in front of her face. She couldn’t see Laura’s face, but she knew exactly what look she was giving her. It was the special look of annoyance that Laura reserved specifically for her. Carmilla felt the corner of her mouth tug up slightly thinking about how cute Laura probably looked right now. Not that it mattered or anything.

Carmilla heard Laura pull out her laptop and began typing away. She wasn’t sure how Laura normally typed, but she had a feeling she was being a little bit more aggressive with her keyboard than usual. It took everything Carmilla had to hold her tongue and try to focus on her book as Laura hammered away on the keys to her right. Eventually she heard the laptop snap close, and their verbal silence was broken.

“I can’t believe you told Kirsch that _I’m_ the reason we don’t get along!” Carmilla slowly closed her book, setting it down in her lap.

“Well it certainly isn’t my fault, cutie.” Her voice was steady and calm, but she was offended at the out right insinuation Laura was making.

“Are you kidding me, Carmilla?” Laura’s voice was nowhere near calm and steady. She had almost reached the highest level of high pitched that Carmilla had gotten used to back in high school when they would bicker. “You did nothing but insult me and find any opportunity you could to embarrass me for over three years! Then I thought that maybe, just maybe I had been wrong about you. Maybe you hadn’t been out to ruin my life but actually just liked me, and in your own weird way were, like, flirting with me. So I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt, but then you just proved me wrong, again!”

“What do you mean, I ‘proved you wrong?’ You were the one that stopped talking to me, Creampuff.” It was becoming increasingly hard for Carmilla to stay calm with Laura’s false accusations.

“Yeah, because you lied to me, Carmilla.” Her voice was far less steady, now. Carmilla could see her bottom lip quivering and there were tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Carmilla, however, was completely confused.

“Laura,” Carmilla’s voice was softer, and she watched Laura close her eyes and flinch at the sound of her actual name. It had been almost 8 years since Carmilla had called her by name. “I may have done some shitty things to you in the past, but I have never lied to you.”

Laura just laughed. “You really expect me to believe that?” Her eyes were wide, but her voice had lowered slightly.

“Listen Creampuff,” Carmilla said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know what happened that day that could have possibly made you think whatever it is that you think, but I’m done doing this with you.” She gestured between the two of them, hoping the Laura understood what she meant.

“Fine,” was all she said. 

The singular word and Laura’s tone infuriated Carmilla. “And how can you think you’re so innocent?” Carmilla’s words came out harsh. Laura looked up at her, slightly baffled. “You and your stupid need to know everything nearly ruined my mother’s company,” Carmilla spat.

“Carmilla, have you read a single story I’ve even written for the paper?” Laura was clenching her fists, and the question came out through gritted teeth.

“I’ve read every article you’ve ever written, Cupcake.” Carmilla smiled at the look of shock on Laura’s face. Carmilla really had read everything she had written, from High School on. She would never admit to it, but the only reason she started reading the paper was for Laura’s articles, even now.

“Well, then you would know that I have never written an article relating to your mother or Morgan Industries in my life.”

“Right, because your snooping couldn’t have caused anyone else to follow suit,” Carmilla sneered. She could see the muscles in Laura’s jaw tighten, as if she were trying to bite back the words she wanted to say.

“Carmilla, I didn’t start ‘snooping’ around until after the paper got wind of the investigation on your mother. _I_ was trying to help.” Carmilla’s brow shot up, but she waited quietly for Laura to continue. “Someone tipped off my editor that something was going on at Morgan Industries. I may have heard and volunteered to look into things. But I found out pretty quickly that whatever ‘evidence’ was had against your mother was either falsified or never existed in the first place.” Carmilla just stared back at her, speechless. She didn’t know if she believed everything she was saying, but she did know that Laura had never written anything about her mother or Morgan Industries.

“Oh,” was the only thing that finally came out of her mouth. She bit her lip before looking up into Laura’s brown eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s whatever,” Laura responded, shrugging her shoulders. 

After another few minutes of silence, Laura turned away from Carmilla, opening her laptop back up. Carmilla sat there for a moment, watching her. As she had expected before, her normal typing rhythm was much quieter than the constant hammering she had previously overheard. 

After a moment, Carmilla picked her book up out of her lap and tried to continue reading. Even with Laura’s fingers now quietly skimming over her keyboard, Carmilla couldn’t focus. She couldn’t stop replaying the events of that day over and over again in her mind, trying to figure out exactly where she had gone wrong. She needed to pinpoint the moment she had said something that Laura could have thought was a lie, but it wasn’t there. She needed to know.

“What was it?” She said it softly, barely above a whisper. At first it was just to herself, but then Laura was looking over at her and she knew that she had heard. Her brow was furrowed, unsure of what Carmilla had meant. “What do you think I lied to you about?”

Laura gently closed her laptop, setting it down on the table before turning to face Carmilla. She ran her hand threw her hair nervously as she took a long breath in. “You told me that the rumors weren’t true.” Laura was biting her lip, and Carmilla could see the hurt in her eyes. She wanted so badly to reach out and pull her into her arms, but her hands stayed rested on her crossed legs.

“That’s what this has all been about?” Carmilla was trying to mask the pain in her voice, but she could tell by the guilty look on Laura’s face that it hadn’t worked. The last 8 years could have been avoided if Carmilla had just been up front with Laura in the first place. She sighed. Maybe it wasn’t too late to fix things. “Laura,” she reached her hand out, placing it on Laura’s knee. The other girl flinched at first, but relaxed as her brown eyes came up to meet Carmilla’s. “That day that we-“ she started, not sure exactly what she wanted to say. “Laura, I wasn’t lying. That was- _you_ were,” she corrected, “my first.”


	6. Chapter 6

The words hit Laura like a ton of bricks. She felt the air suck itself out of her lungs. She didn’t understand how this was possible. How could she have been so wrong? Her head was swimming and she felt a bit dizzy and sick, but Carmilla’s warm hand on her leg was keeping her grounded.

“I was,” she whispered. “But I saw you.” Carmilla was looking at her and Laura could see the complete confusion in her eyes. “That night,” she started. “Things started to get uncomfortable at home. My parents were trying to act like nothing was wrong, and I needed to leave. I just started walking. I didn’t even realize where I was going until I was out in front of your house. You were sitting on your porch with some blonde girl I had never seen before. You were just talking, but then you were getting up and hugging and then…” Laura couldn’t finish the thought. Despite it being almost 8 years old, the memory of watching another girl kissing Carmilla after what had happened between them that day, still hurt her. She closed her eyes, letting the tears spill down her cheeks. There was a hand on her face, and a thumb wiping them away. When she opened her eyes, she was staring directly into Carmilla’s, and they were full of concern.

“Her name was Ell,” Carmilla started. “We had been friends for years. She was older than me. She graduated with my brother, Will. That’s probably why you didn’t know her.” Laura didn’t care who the girl was, but she needed to understand, so she kept quiet. “I always knew she kind of liked me, but I brushed it off because I didn’t have feelings for her. She came over that night, and nothing was different, but then she kissed me. But I swear that was it. I stopped it, and then I told her that we could never be more than friends. I swear I didn’t lie to you, Laura.”

Laura felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. The way her name sounded on Carmilla’s lips was something she would never get used to. Her mouth was dry when she tried to speak. She looked down, not sure if she could handle looking her in the eyes when she answered. “But why? She was beautiful.”

“She was,” Carmilla said, firmly. Carmilla moved her hand along Laura’s jaw, tilting her chin up until their eyes met. “But she wasn’t you.”

The tears that had ceased began trickling down Laura’s face again. She had been wrong. It had all been her fault. Her stomach was twisting into knots, and she felt her chest tighten. Carmilla hadn’t deserved any of this. Laura thought back to every interaction she had had with her over the last 12 years, and realized that Carmilla had never been the first one to be hostile toward her. No, she had always just been on the defensive. It had all been Laura. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her, and she thought she was going to be sick.

“Laura,” Carmilla said softly. Laura’s tear filled eyes focused on her. Carmilla looked so sad and hurt, and it was all because of her. Laura shook her head, burying her face in her hands. She felt the couch move as Carmilla scooted closer to her. She felt hands wrap around her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. Laura sniffled as she felt Carmilla’s warm hands on her face. “Laura, look at me.” Laura’s eyes moved from her lap up to Carmilla’s. “I forgive you,” she whispered as her thumbs dragged across Laura’s cheeks.

Laura felt herself launching forward. She wrapped her arms around Carmilla’s waist, burying her head into the crook of her neck. Laura began muttering countless apologies into her skin. Carmilla’s arms came up around her back, pulling her closer into her. Her embrace was warm and tight, and Laura never wanted her to let go. They stayed that way for a moment until they heard rushed footsteps, and a voice calling her name.

“L, wait! Don’t kill Carmilla.” Laura felt Carmilla’s arms tighten around her as she slowly turned her head to see LaFontaine and Perry standing in front of the couch.

“Don’t worry Captain Interference, I’m not dead.” Carmilla said dryly. Laura sat up slowly, letting Carmilla’s arms slide down to her sides and back into her own lap.

LaFontaine was staring at them wide eyed and with their mouth hanging slightly open. Perry cleared her throat, bringing them out of their daze. A wide grin spread across their face after a moment. “I apologize for us interrupting,” Perry started. “But once LaFontaine informed me of their plan for the two of you, I insisted that they come down here and fix whatever mess that they probably caused.” LaFontaine’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red as Perry spoke.

“Yeah, but then we got here and I saw Laura launch herself at you…” they trailed off, looking from Laura to Carmilla. 

“Clearly, it was a good thing you got here when you did.” Carmilla’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. Laura smacked Carmilla’s shoulder, trying to get her to be quiet.

“Thank you, LaF. But I think Carm and I are just fine.” Laura watched Carmilla raise an eyebrow at the nickname, but kept her mouth shut.

Perry and LaFontaine stood there awkwardly for another couple of moments before Perry put her hand of LaFontaine’s shoulder. “Well, now that we know that everyone is very much alive, I think LaFontaine and I should be going.” They turned to Perry with their mouth open, ready to protest, but quickly closed it when they saw the sharp look she was giving them.

“Yeah, we’d better go.” LaFontaine’s smile fell, but was restored when Laura promised to call them the following day. They said their goodbyes, then Perry ushered LaFontaine out before they could interfere anymore than they already had. 

Laura turned to Carmilla after a few moments, “Do you maybe,” she started. She bit her lip, wondering if it was even a good idea. “Would you like to get out of here?” She asked it quickly, all in one breath. 

Carmilla’s lips quirked into a smile, “Someone’s presumptuous.” Laura just rolled her eyes. They both packed up their things, and walked out of the coffee shop. 

“I live a couple blocks that way,” Laura pointed to the right when they walked out the door. Carmilla grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together, and pulled Laura flush against her.

“My place is closer,” she murmured in her ear. Laura felt a shiver run down her spine and Carmilla’s warm breath tickled her skin, but she smiled before nodding.

Without another word, Carmilla stepped back, dropping Laura’s hand, and started walking down the street. Laura was slightly surprised by how comfortable she felt with the silence. She supposed that it was because of Carmilla. Other than her father, Carmilla had been Laura’s only constant. Though for so long Laura had associated her with anger and near hatred, it had still been constant. Even if the change in emotion was different, Carmilla was still familiar. 

Carmilla’s apartment was just as Laura pictured it. Sleek, modern, and plain. The walls were white, the furniture was black, and the appliances were chrome. It was clean and messy all at the same time. There was a large TV mounted on the smaller wall in the living room, with a large wrap around leather sofa facing it. The largest wall was full off book, from the ceiling to the floor. It seemed to fit her, but Laura somehow knew that it wasn’t quite right. She had spent too much of her life judging Carmilla, it was time for her to stop and get to know the woman for who she really was.

Laura found herself gravitating toward the bookshelf as Carmilla got them both drinks. It was filled with everything from Plato’s The Republic to Harry Potter. She was tracing the spine of an original French copy of The Myth of Sisyphus when Carmilla walked back into the room. She set down two mugs on the coffee table before sauntering over to Laura. Her eyes followed Laura’s finger and she smirked.

“It’s far more interesting than people give it credit for.” Laura turned to her, an eyebrow raised. Carmilla held up her hands, “What can I say? I like a little rebellion.” Laura just shook her head, and walked over to sit on the couch. Carmilla followed her, sitting a little closer than they had been at the coffee shop.

There were a few awkward moments of silence at first, but the conversation quickly began to flow between the two of them. Granted, most of it came from Laura, but Carmilla was far more forthcoming than Laura had expected. They talked about everything and nothing for what felt like days. Laura had seen Carmilla smile more in those few hours than she had in nearly 12 years, and it was amazing to see. It was something she definitely wanted to get use to. 

The sky went from soft orange to midnight blue. Laura could see the stars glistening in the sky out of the window that was behind Carmilla. Somehow it all felt right. Neither of them realized how long it had been until the stars began to fade, and the sky grew to be purple and pink. Laura felt her eyelids drooping as she yawned, stretching her arms out. She stood up from the couch, grabbing her bag and walking toward the door. She felt Carmilla’s warm hand wrap around her wrist, and when she turned their bodies were flush. Carmilla leaned in, her lips grazed Laura’s ear. “Stay,” was all she whispered. Laura nodded, dropping her bag and following Carmilla down the hallway.

Laura could see the dark circles under her eyes as she looked at herself in the mirror that ran the length of one of the walls in Carmilla’s bedroom. She kicked off her shoes, and got changed into the large shirt Carmilla had handed her before going into the bathroom so she could change as well. Laura stood awkwardly, waiting for Carmilla to come back into the room. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, and looking at Laura like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. It made her blush. 

Carmilla crawled into bed, pulling the sheets back for Laura. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, but Carmilla’s eyes were so warm and she was far too tired to listen to the part of her brain telling her that this was a bad idea. When she started to walk toward the bed, she saw Carmilla let out a long breath she must have been holding in. Carmilla was nervous, and it made the little bit of uneasiness that Laura felt start to fade away. Laura laid down on her side, facing the door. She felt Carmilla roll over to turn the light off, then roll back over so that her front was to Laura’s back. They were far enough apart that the blankets dipped down between them, but Laura could still feel the warmth of Carmilla next to her. 

Laura closed her eyes, trying to force herself to sleep, but being this close to Carmilla was causing this ache inside of her. Sometimes when she would remember the day that they shared, she could still remember the feel of Carmilla’s arms around her, but she hadn’t felt it in so long. Her skin almost itches with anticipation at being this close to the only person who ever truly made her feel safe. She rolled over so that she was facing Carmilla. Even though Carmilla had drawn the heavy curtains, Laura could still make her out with the soft glow of light seeping into the room. She reached out her hand and began gently tracing her fingers across Carmilla’s features. She saw Carmilla’s eyes fluttered open for a moment when she first felt Laura’s touch, but as Laura’s hand continued she closed them and began leaning into her.

She was tucking a loose curl back behind Carmilla’s ear when she felt lips press against her wrist. She traced her finger down along Carmilla’s jaw, then slowly swiped her thumb across her lips. She could see them curve up into a smile, and Laura felt hers do the same. “It’s really hard to fall asleep when you’re doing that, cutie.” Carmilla’s voice was rough with sleep, and until she had spoke Laura felt like she was in some kind of dream. 

She mumbled an apology, letting her hand fall from Carmilla’s face. Carmilla let out a small laugh, and Laura felt a hand brush her arm as it came up to hold hers. Carmilla’s eyes were open and she was looking directly into Laura’s as her thumb was stroking over Laura’s knuckles. Laura pulled their joined hands up, turning them over, and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Carmilla’s. She wrapped Carmilla’s arm around her waist, then rolled over so that her back was pushing flush to Carmilla’s front. Their fingers were still laced together as they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many people were blaming Danny and it made me so sad. She's not all that bad!
> 
> Only one chapter left! I'm still on the fence about an epilogue, but I'm sure my mind could still be changed.


	7. Chapter 7

They slept until late afternoon. Carmilla woke to Laura’s head on her chest and her fingers drawing patterns on the exposed skin of her stomach where her tank top had ridden up. She craned her neck down, kissing the top of Laura’s head to let her know she was awake. She felt the soft hum Laura let out vibrate against her chest before she turned her head up, smiling at Carmilla. Carmilla had fallen for that smile so many times she couldn’t count, anymore. She reached out, tucking the honey brown hair that had fallen into Laura face behind her ear, letting her palm settle on her cheek before she began caressing her fingers along her jaw.

“Morning cutie,” Carmilla said softly, though her voice still came out a little gruff. Laura nuzzled into Carmilla’s neck, her lips ghosting across her skin. 

“Good morning, Carm.” There wasn’t a trace of sleep in Laura’s voice, and it made Carmilla wonder how long she had been awake. “How did you sleep?” Laura’s breath was hot against her skin, and it sent a shiver down her spin.

“Better than I have in a long time.” It was true. Even though it had only been for a few hours, Carmilla couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t been restless. She felt Laura smile against the crook of her neck.

“Good,” she murmured. Her fingers were still lazily drawing patterns on her stomach. Carmilla felt like there was electricity running through her body at Laura’s touch. Every nerve was firing, but she felt so relaxed. Her fingers were running through Laura’s hair, gently scratching her head with her blunt nails. 

There was something inside of Carmilla telling her that she wanted this, all of this. She wanted to wake up with Laura in her arms every morning, and lay tangled up in bed with her all day. She had never wanted a forever with someone as badly as she wanted one right now. What surprised her most was how comfortable she was with the idea. A part of her had always known that it was Laura. For the first three years she had known her, it had been Laura. Even after everything that happened between them both, she had subconsciously been far more aware of Laura than any other person in her life except for William, of course. She had known Laura was attending Silas University before she had decided on a college. She kept up on Laura’s journalism career, especially after she had gotten her current position. A part of her always knew Laura had nothing to do with the investigation on her mother, but she had been clinging to some reason to hate her. It was the only way she had been able to keep herself from being hurt. 

“Hey,” Laura’s hand was on Carmilla’s cheek. Her thumb was rubbing circles against her skin. “What’s going on up there?” Laura asked as she gently tapped on her forehead. Her warm brown eyes were looking directly into Carmilla’s, and she couldn’t help but smile. She kissed Laura’s palm before it came back down to rest on her cheek. 

“Just thinking,” Carmilla replied. She knew Laura wasn’t going to be sated by that answer.

“About what?” Carmilla had never been the type to be forth coming with information. She had always kept to herself and, a side from Will, no one ever really seemed to care much for what she had to say. But something in Laura’s tone made her feel like whatever she was about to say was worth listening to.

“I was just wondering how different things could have been,” Laura bit her lip and began moving away from Carmilla. Carmilla felt her face soften, and reached out, grabbing Laura’s wrist. “Hey, Laura, stop.” Carmilla’s voice was soft, but commanding. When Laura looked back up at her, there were tears welling in her eyes. Carmilla let go of her wrist, bringing both her hands to cup her cheeks. “I don’t blame you, and I’m not mad at you. Everything that happened was just one big misunderstanding, but it’s ancient history.” She ran her thumb along Laura’s cheek, catching a tear as it slipped from her eye. “You’re here now, and honestly, right now is all I care about. Just promise me one thing, okay?” 

“Anything,” Laura whispered back.

“The next time something happens and you get mad at me, talk to me first. Please.” Laura was nodding, and Carmilla was pulling her closer until they were barely centimeters apart. Carmilla’s hands were now tangled in Laura’s hair, and Laura’s were desperately clinging to the hem of her tank top. Carmilla’s eyes flickered down to Laura’s lips and when they came back to meet her eyes, she could see Laura staring down at hers. Carmilla was very much aware that this was something she had dreamed of happening again for the last 8 years. She wanted it to be perfect, but her mind was so clouded by Laura. 

Carmilla watched as Laura’s eyes fluttered closed when she pressed their lips together. They were soft and warm, and everything that she remembered. She had never kissed Laura this gently before. The last time had been heated, passionate. This was tender and cautious. Carmilla’s heart was hammering in her chest as their lips moved together. She choked back a moan as Laura dragged her tongue along her bottom lip and slipped it inside of her mouth. She felt Laura’s hands tightening on her shirt, and she suddenly was wondering why she was wearing it in the first place. Carmilla moved her hands to cover Laura’s and began slowly moving them up her body, pulling her tank top off. Laura’s hand stopped, resting on her ribs. She pulled away, just slightly, so that their lips were still barely touching. She was looking at Carmilla with wide eyes, the brown of her irises barely visible. 

“Are you sure?” She asked softly against Carmilla’s lips. Carmilla felt the smile spread across her face at Laura’s concern.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” The complete joy that she watched spread across Laura’s entire face was something she wanted to keep in her memory forever.

Laura leaned back in, colliding their lips together again. She broke away to finish pulling off Carmilla’s tank top, letting the shirt she was wearing follow it to the floor. When their lips reconnected, Carmilla could still feel herself smiling into the kiss. It made Laura giggle, and the sound was music to Carmilla’s ears. 

She leaned back onto the bed, pulling Laura on top of her. Laura began trailing sloppy kisses down her jaw and neck. Carmilla’s head fell back against the pillows as Laura pulled the skin of her pulse point into her teeth. She dragged her nails down Laura’s bare back and let out a long moan as Laura’s hand came up to cup her breast as her mouth trailed down to the other one. Carmilla’s skin was on fire everywhere Laura was touching, but it felt so good to burn.

They both collapsed onto the bed a few hours later, each a panting mess. Carmilla’s hair was sticking to the back of her neck, and there was sweat dripping down her body. Laura was in no better state. Carmilla watched the decrescendo of Laura’s breathing, allowing hers to match. Laura’s hand was resting on Carmilla’s stomach and she reached up to intertwine their fingers. She tugged her hand slightly causing Laura to roll toward her, settling her head on Carmilla’s chest.

“That was different,” Laura mumbled as she pressed her lips to the under side of Carmilla’s jaw. 

A full grin spread across Carmilla’s face, tugging her cheeks tightly. “It’s been 8 years, Cupcake. I would be a little nervous if it wasn’t.” Laura giggled as she nuzzled into Carmilla’s neck.

“Your stamina has gotten much better in your old age,” she said. Carmilla could feel Laura smiling against her skin, which was still burning. 

“I don’t recall being the one that scrambled out of bed and ran out like the house was on fire,” Carmilla shot back playfully.

Laura pulled away, looking up at her, pouting. “I didn’t realize how late it was, and if I wasn’t home by precisely 4 my father would have sent out a search party,” Laura began. “And I don’t think the position we were in was one you would have wanted him to find us in.” A sly grin had replaced her pout, and the gold in her eyes had a little extra sparkle to it. Carmilla just hummed in response, pulling Laura in for a long kiss. 

When they pulled away, Laura put her head back down on Carmilla’s chest. Laura’s fingers began tracing patterns on her stomach or tapping out the rhythm of her heartbeat. It was peaceful, and Carmilla found herself wondering if this was what happiness felt like. She didn’t want to ruin it, but there was one more thing that Carmilla felt she needed to say.

“Laura?” Carmilla whispered her name.

“Yeah, Carm?” Laura mumbled, sleepily, into her neck. Carmilla’s mouth suddenly felt dry, and she wasn’t certain the words would come out. She swallowed hard before speaking.

“I’m really sorry about your mom,” Carmilla said softly. Laura’s head lifted off of Carmilla’s chest, her hand coming up to cup her face. She had a small smile on her lips, but Carmilla could see the sadness in her eyes. Carmilla bit her lip, avoiding Laura’s gaze. “I went to her funeral.” Laura’s thumb stopped stroking Carmilla’s cheek. Carmilla looked up to see Laura looking at her with complete confusion. “I figured you didn’t want me there but I needed to make sure you were okay, so I slipped in the back. I left before you got up to give the eulogy. I didn’t think I could handle seeing you cry.” Laura’s eyes were brimming with tear and as Carmilla finished speaking, they started to spill down her cheeks. Carmilla reached out, wiping them away with her thumb.

“Why?” Laura asked, her voice shaky. 

Carmilla looked back at her, a small smile on her lips. “Because I promised,” she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Laura leaned forward, capturing Carmilla’s lips in a messy kiss. She could taste the salt from the tears that had dripped down to the crook of her mouth. Laura pulled away, leaning her forehead against Carmilla’s. She sniffled, but she was smiling.

“Carmilla Karnstein,” she started. “I did everything absolutely wrong. How in the world do I deserve you?” Carmilla just shrugged.

“You don’t,” she stated. Laura opened her eyes to find Carmilla smiling back at her. “But, you can always make it up to me.” Laura pulled away, an eyebrow cocked up.

“Oh really?” Her lips were quirked up into a curious grin. “And how might one go about doing such a thing?”

“Well,” Carmilla said, her eyes trailing up and down Laura’s sheet clad body. “This morning was a good start.” Laura leaned in, placing soft kisses along Carmilla’s neck and collarbones. “But I think the next step would be letting me take you out tonight.” 

“Hm,” Laura hummed with her lips pressed behind Carmilla’s ear. “And you taking me out is going to help?” Her voice was a little deeper than usual, as she breathed into Carmilla’s ear.

“I’m sure it couldn’t possibly hurt,” Carmilla responded. 

“Well,” she whispered. “I’d better go get ready, then.” She pulled back, placing a chaste kiss on Carmilla’s cheek before jumping out of the bed and getting dressed.

Carmilla just sat there, glowering. She wasn’t actually upset, but she wanted Laura to at least feel a little guilty for leaving her like that. Instead, Laura got dressed excruciatingly slow, and Carmilla knew she was toying with her. She made a mental note to get back at her later. Laura left with a small wave, and a blush on her cheeks. Carmilla just shook her head when she heard her apartment door close.

“You’re killing me, Hollis,” was all she mumbled to herself.

Carmilla Karnstein was not the kind of girl who cared about what other people thought of her. She was not the kind of woman who spent 3 hours before a date trying to pick out the perfect outfit, or even went on dates for that matter, but this was not just a date. This was a second chance. This was the start to what she hoped was something so much more, a future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone so much for reading! I really enjoyed all of your comments. 
> 
> I am currently working on another Hollstein fic titled Where Is My Mind. Chapter one should be up soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
> 
> Thank you all, again!
> 
> -lesbolust

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! This is my first published fiction, so I would absolutely love your feedback! Comments and what not would be awesome or you can find me at lesbolust.tumblr.com


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